Powered fastener driving tools are well known and commercially widely used throughout North America and other parts of the world. Powered fastener driving tools are typically electrically powered, pneumatically powered, combustion powered, or powder-activated. Powered fastener driving tools are typically used to drive fasteners (such as nails, staples, and the like) to connect a first object material, item, or workpiece to a second object material, item, or workpiece.
Various known powered fastener driving tools include: (a) a housing; (b) a power source or supply assembly in, connected to, or supported by the housing; (c) a fastener supply assembly in, connected to, or supported by the housing; (d) a fastener driving assembly in, connected to, or supported by the housing; (e) a trigger mechanism partially in, connected to, or supported by the housing; and (f) a workpiece contactor or contacting element (sometimes referred to herein as a “WCE”) connected to or supported by the housing. The WCE is configured to engage or contact a workpiece and to operatively work with the trigger mechanism, such that the WCE needs to be depressed or moved inwardly a predetermined distance with respect to the housing, before activation of the trigger mechanism causes actuation of the power fastener driving tool.
Powered fastener driving tools typically have two different types of operational modes and one or more mechanisms that enable the operator to optionally select one of the two different types of operational modes that the operator desires to use for driving the fasteners. One operational mode is known in the industry as the sequential or single actuation operational mode. In this operational mode, the depression or actuation of the trigger mechanism will not (by itself) initiate the actuation of the powered fastener driving tool and the driving of a fastener into the workpiece unless the WCE element is sufficiently depressed against the workpiece. In other words, to operate the powered fastener driving tool in accordance with the sequential or single actuation operational mode, the WCE element must first be depressed against the workpiece followed by the depression or actuation of the trigger mechanism. Another operational mode is known in the industry as the contact actuation operational mode. In this operational mode, the operator can maintain the trigger mechanism at or in its depressed position, and subsequently, each time the WCE is in contact with, and sufficiently pressed against the workpiece, the power fastener driving tool will actuate, thereby driving a fastener into the workpiece.
One known commercially available pneumatic powered fastener driving tool is the PASLODE® PMP or POWERMASTER PLUS® Pneumatic Framing Nailer sold by a division of the assignee of the present application (PASLODE and POWERMASTER PLUS® are registered trademarks of Illinois Tool Works Inc.). This pneumatic powered fastener driving tool is often referred to as a framing nailer or pneumatic nailer and is generally diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1. This known pneumatic powered fastener driving tool 10 generally includes: (a) a housing 12 including a main compartment 14 and a handle 16 extending from the main compartment 14: (b) a power source or supply assembly (not shown) in the housing 12; (c) a pneumatic end plug 40 connected to a bottom surface of a bottom wall 18 of the handle 16; (d) a fastener supply assembly 50; (e) a fastener driving assembly (not shown); (f) a trigger mechanism 60; (g) a WCE 70; and (h) a belt hook 80 rotatably connected to the bottom wall 18 of the handle 16. The handle 16 is integrally formed with the main compartment 14 and is partially covered by a plastic protective cover 29. The bottom wall 18 of the handle 16 includes: (a) a first mount or mounting bracket 20 that facilitates attachment to the fastener supply assembly 50; (b) a second mount or retainer 22 that facilitates attachment of the belt hook 80 to the handle 16; (c) a third mount (not shown) that facilitates attachment of the pneumatic end plug 40 to the bottom wall 18 of the handle 16; and (d) an air inlet (not shown). The pneumatic end plug 40 is sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to receive an outwardly extending pneumatic connector 42 sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to connect to a pneumatic air supply hose (not shown) which supplies compressed air to this pneumatic powered fastener driving tool 10. The compressed air flows through the pneumatic connector 42 and the pneumatic end plug 40, through the air inlet (not shown) in the bottom wall 18 of the handle 16, and through one or more channels (not shown) in the handle 16 to the power source or supply assembly (not shown) in the housing 12 to power the pneumatic powered fastener driving tool 10.
One issue with this known pneumatic powered fastener driving tool 10 is that if the first mount or mounting bracket 20 breaks or cracks, the entire housing 12 pneumatic powered fastener driving tool 10 needs to be replaced because the mounting bracket 20 is integrally connected to the handle 18. Likewise, if the belt hook second mount or retainer 22 breaks or cracks, the entire housing 12 of the pneumatic powered fastener driving tool 10 needs to be replaced because the mounting bracket 22 is integrally connected to the handle 18. Since operators of this tool typically use the belt hook 80 on a regular basis throughout each work day when this tool is in use, there is repeated pressure or stress placed on the second mount or mounting bracket 22 and the entire handle 16 on a regular basis.
Another issue with this known pneumatic powered fastener driving tool 10 is that this arrangement enables the belt hook 80 to rotate 150 degrees or more. This rotation enables the belt hook 80 to sometimes be in an undesired position where the belt hook 80 extends closer to the pneumatic connector 42 when the tool is in use by the operator. This rotation also enables the belt hook 80 to sometimes be in an undesired position where the belt hook 80 extends closer to the pneumatic connector 42 when the tool is hanging on the operator's belt which can cause the tool to hang in an undesired position relative to the operator.
Accordingly, there is a need to solve the above issues.